Detecting Engine Runtime installed version?

[LouisDeSantis]

Hi,

We have a .Net app for which we are evaluating embedded GIS components. Our customers have a full range of ArcObjects environments (version 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, also some 9.x version).

In our application we would like to be able to detect which version of the runtime is installed. So we have some questions:

-Can multiple versions of the Runtime be installed on a single client machine?
-Does our application need to use the *latest* (10.2) SDK in order to detect all previous versions of the Runtime?
-Could earlier SDKs, for example, detect a later version of the runtime (forward compatible within v 10.x?)
         -(Within all versions 9.x and 10.x?).
-Is there any technique that developers have used to detect whether or not any Runtime is installed that does not require any ArcObjects SDK in our app? Can we examine the registry in order to know what would need to be installed?

TIA

[SachinKanaujia]

Yes you can do it outside the ArcObjects environment by inspecting the registry files. You can use the Product code ID to verify the product installed and get RealVersion.

On Linux you can install multiple versions by removing the registration specific files but will be able to use the registered product.

[LouisDeSantis]

Thanks for the quick response.

Are you aware of whether examining the registry to determine whether ArcGIS is installed and which version is supported by ESRI in anyway? I guess I would expect there to be some minimum level of documentation that allows developers to know what they need to look for in order to cleanly and accurately determine the client system capabilities outside of ESRI.ArcGIS.RuntimeManager and ESRI.ArcGIS.RuntimeInfo.

Is there a script or shared code on EDN that people are using?

TIA

[SachinKanaujia]

Well. A good starting point would be to look at the patch finder and customize it to your requirements

http://support.esri.com/en/downloads/patches-servicepacks/view/productid/15/metaid/1685

You can download the linux one to get a better understanding of it.

Also you can look at the silent uninstall for product codes

http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/techarticles/detail/28709

[ModyBuchbinder]

Hi

From version 10.0 the installation directory include the version (C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Engine10.1).
You can look under C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS and look for it.
Note that if you uninstall 10.0 and install 10.1 sometime the 10.0 directory is not deleted but is almost empty.
It still looks easier then check registry.

Have fun
Mody